To continue the Advanced TIROS-N program by working as a companion with NOAA-10, 11 and 12 in order to provide ... continuous coverage of the Earth and to provide high-resolution global meteorological data.

Description:

The spacecraft was launched on August 9, 1993 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on board the Atlas E.

The spacecraft was rectangularly shaped (166" long by 74" high) and powered by a 191" by 94" solar array. The satellite was Earth oriented, three-axis stabilized and weighed approximately 2200 pounds. NOAA-13 was the sixth operational satellite in the Advanced TIROS-N series. The satellite carried the AVHRR, TOVS, and the solar proton monitor. All of which were present on previous NOAA satellites. The ERBE instruments, the SBUV radiometer and the SARSAT systems were also flown on this satellite.

NOAA-13 was placed in a near circular, (470nm) polar orbit. The spacecraft and its systems operated successfully for 12 days until a circuit failure resulted in a power loss aboard the craft. At this time the spacecraft is still in its polar orbit; however, no data is being received.